Separator for suction fuel-tank-filling systems



H. WEIERSHAUSEH. SEPARATOR FOR SUCTION FUEL TANK FILLING SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 51. 1921.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

IN V EN TOR.

b'ersizawser HJWe Qvokmhikh A TTORNEY Eli) HENRY J. WEIERQHAUSER, 0F STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

SEPARATOR FOR SUCTION FUEL-TANK-FILLING SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18', 1921.

Application filed Iebruary 5, 1921. Serial No. 442,645.

To all whom at my concern Be it known that I, HENRY J. Wnrnns- HAUSER, a citizen of the United States, residing at btocktomcounty of San J oaquin, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Separators for Suction Fuel-Tank-Filling Systems; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accom anying drawings, and to the characters 0 re erence marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in devices to be used in filling fuel tanks from an outside source of supply by means of suction, such as may be, and preferably is, obtained with the operation of an internal combustion engine.

The present invention is particularly intended as an improvement over the type of valve member shown in my co-pending application on method of filling engine gas tanks, Serial No. 371,472, filed April 5th, 1920.

I have found. from experience that the type of valve shown in said application is unsatisfactory, owing to the fact that a certain amount of the fuel being passed from one tank to the other is unavoidably drawn up into the manifold of the engine from which the operating suction is derived, thus not only wasting fuel, but tending to choke and flood the engine.

Further, in the Iirst type mentioned, a necessary check valve in the system was provided as a separate unit apart from the valve member, as was also a shut-off cook.

The principal object of this present invention therefore is to eliminate the mixing or drawing up of any of the fuel with the air by constructing the valve member in such a manner as to positive y prevent a mixing of the fuel with the air.

Another object is to combine in a single unit a device having incorporated therein not only an automatic valve member to shut off the suction pipe when the tank is full, but a check valve to prevent back pressure of air to the tank.

In this manner, the device is practically the only special fitting necessary for the system, which, together with the necessary lengths of piping and other standard fittings, makes it simpler and less costly to install and without the liability of any parts I being coupled up in an incorrect manner such structure and b an inexperienced hand. y

In other words, the purchaser would buy the device shown in this application, and with a few simple instructions and the necessary piping could himself install the system without danger of going wrong, or could employ anyone able to connect pipe fittmgs to do it for him.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes which it is designed.

These objects I relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a erusal of the following specification and c aims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation proved separator.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on a line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference marked on the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes a hollow body member having its lower end provided with a threaded portion 2 to adapt it for connection with the usual filler-hole 3 of a gas tank 4, said hole being of course in the top of the tank.

On one side of the body 1 is a threaded outlet 5, this outlet being shut oif from the upper end of the body by means of an interior wall 6 lying transversely of the outlet and body, and extending from the upper edge of the outlet to and below the lower end of the threaded portion 2 of the body 1, practically dividing the body in half, and forming an air passageway 1 and a liquid passage 5, separated from each other.

The projected portion of the portion 6 below the portion 2 of the body is curved in a horizontal plane to form a lip 7 extending to that side of the body from which the outlet 5 projects. v

The upper end of the body 1 is tapped to receive a bushing 8 provided with an orificed bridge 9 to form a rest for a ball 10 mounted on the upper end of a stem 11 which of my imis guided loosely through the bridge and similarly through a lug 12 formed with the portion 6 adjacent the lower end thereof to a float 13 below the body.

" proved form,

' away direction away Screwed into the bushing 8 is a valve seat member lei-provided with faced or fi'nished taper-seats 15 and 16, the seat 15 being adapted to receive the ball '10 and the seat 16 normally receivin ranged for limited vertica play'in the member 14, being kept from an undesired movement by a wire 18 or similar means, stretched across the member 14 above the ball 17.

Screwed on to the member 17 to receive the end of the'suction pipe '19 is a suitable fitting,-which may simply be a form of reducing-coupling as at 20 in Fig? 2, or it may be made as a shut-off cock of any as shown at21 in Fig. 1.

In operation, the member 1 with its coopcrating attachments is screwed into the tank to be filled, while the pipe ,19 is connected to the intake manifold of the engine, while a hose projecting into a Source of fue1 supply is connected by means of an ordmary hose coupling on to the outlet 5, this-connection and arrangement of parts bemg the same as shown in my hereinbefore mentioned ap lication for patent.

f the air cock 21, either in the position as shown or interposed in the pipe line 19, is

opened, the suction caused'by the operation o f'the engine soon exhausts the air in the empty tank 4, the ball-valve 10 belng held from its seat 15 by reason of its own weight, and the check ball 17 being intermittently raised from its seat with the suction impulses.

The normal air pressure then acting on the exposed surface of the fuel in the source of supply forces said fuel through the passage 5 and into the tank 4, being deflected to one side of the air passageway of the body 1 by reason of the curved or slanting portion of the Wall or partitlon 6. In this wa the actual inlet of the fuel into the b0 y is separated from the air being drawn up through the body and into the pipe19, and is further discharged into the tank in a none of the fuel will be drawn-up intogthe he air is therefore as free from conflict with the fuel as though widely separated pipes were tapped into the tank.

a free ball'17 ar- !from the air passage, so that W ith my device however, a com act unit structure is had including in t is unit, means for automatically regulating the flow of air.

and seats in the member 14, so that the engine suction cannot then have any further influence tending to flood the tank. The air cock 21 may then be shut ofl until it is again desired to operate the device to refill the tank.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have roduced such a device as substantially ful ls the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets tail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such .detail may be resorted to and do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I, claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising in a unit, a body member adapted' to be connected to a tank and having a continuous air passageway therethrough, a fuel passageway communicating with the air passageway only at one end of said body, and an automatic float valve carried by the body and arranged to close the air-passage when the tank is full.

2. A device of the character described comprising in aunit, a body member adapted to be connected to a tank and having a continuous air passageway therethrough, a fuel passageway communicatingwith the air passageway only at one end of said body, the opposite end of the air-passage being connected to a source of suction, a float valve carried by the body and arranged to' close said lastnamed end of the air passageway when the tank is full, and .a check valve above said float valve and adapted to close the air passageway with a movement in the opposite direction from that of said float valve.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HENRY J. WEIERSHAUSER.

forth in de- When the tank is full, the float 13 raises 

